Shane Battier probably is not going to end up on the Celtics.

A. Sherrod Blakely reports that the Celtics have a definite interest in Battier... But don't have the pieces necessary to acquire him. Just like we knew all along. Blakely also adds that the Celtics are definitely looking to make a move:

The C's don't have a lot of trade chips to play, and thus find themselves struggling to gain much trade traction.

"Obviously, we're out there looking," Rivers said. "We're not going to just go and do something, to do something. We're clearly looking. We don't have a lot of assets to move. We'll see what happens."

The biggest fear for the C's right now is that they're unable to make a trade, and Daniels isn't able to return.

"That would be tough, because of our size," Rivers said. "We would have a huge gap at the 3-spot. When you look at who we'd have to go through, Luol Dengs, LeBrons, Kobes . . . that would make it tough."
 
It puts even more pressure on Paul Pierce to not only produce, but do so while staying healthy and relatively free of foul trouble.

"I'm not going to do nothing different," Pierce said. "I can't even think about that. We got guys who are going to have to fill in that role. Von Wafer, Delonte West. The guys we got have to fill in that role. I can't change the way I play."

We can hope that Houston is unable to find a better deal for Battier and deals him to Boston, and also throws us some pity in the process. I doubt that will happen, but one can hope. Paul needs a back up, that's undeniable. If the Celtics don't think Marquis is going to come back, I don't see them leaving Paul in the lurch and depending on Von Wafer and Delonte West. Those guys just don't have the size. I think the Celtics will continue to push for a deal, it just might not be as big a name as Shane Battier. It might not even be someone like Anthony Parker, but Danny Ainge has surprised us before, and the Celtics could luck out landing a lesser known name, but someone who's still a good fit and can give Paul a breather. We could be in for an interesting couple of days. 

The Celtics are allegedly involved in discussions with Houston regarding a Mr. Shane Battier.

I don't know what the deal would look like. The article provides minimal information:

Add Houston's Shane Battier to the list of perimeter players that possess the ideal combination -- veteran know-how with an expiring contract -- to interest the Boston Celtics.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has publicly acknowledged the need for backcourt reinforcements thanks to the Marquis Daniels' bruised spinal cord and Delonte West's spotty health all season.

After the name of Cleveland's Anthony Parker surfaced Friday as a player that Boston has joined conference rival Chicago in pursuing, sources said Monday that the Celtics and Rockets have likewise discussed the prospect of Battier moving East.

Yet it's too soon to say whether the teams can reach an agreement on a deal to send Battier to the Celtics, given that Boston's trade chips are limited and since Houston is regarded as one of the most aggressive teams in a conservative market and might need Battier's expiring $7.4 million salary for a bigger move. 


Would Nate and Marquis be a possibility for Battier? The Celtics don't have much to work with in terms of dealing people. Battier would be a MORE than adequate back up for Paul, but I wonder how he would feel coming off the bench and playing less minutes than he's accustomed to. I think he would be a GREAT addition- he plays solid defense and is an able scorer. He plays unselfishly and absolutely improves every other member of his team while he's on the floor. He seems like too big a name for the Celtics to land at this point in time, but a girl can hope. It might take more than Nate and Marquis, but if the Celtics could figure out a way to land him, I think he would be worth investing him. He's a player that could make a difference on this team beyond this season and the Championship run.